President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko met with the asset of the Vitebsk region
"We have a lot of work ahead of us. We know that much has been done. We have indeed done a lot over the last five-year period, and it was not the easiest one. It is one of the difficult ones. We can do everything, but everything requires huge resources, primarily financial, which we do not have in sufficient quantities. We do not have large reserves of hydrocarbons, gold, metals, and we have to get by as best we can," the Head of State noted.
Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that the discussion at the meeting would also be about reforms, which the opposition constantly talks about. "Any process is a result. Our reforms cannot be some kind of fake, huge, all-encompassing ones," the President said.
"Reforms are not about breaking and destroying (tearing everything down to the ground, and then we will build something). Do not give in to these foolish talks," the Belarusian leader urged. "Our reform is the improvement of what exists. We must develop those industries on the basis of which Belarus exists. Because we know how to do it. There is no need to destroy."
Alexander Lukashenko simultaneously noted that there are individual enterprises that are probably no longer needed in the country. "But these are individual ones. Therefore, our reform is the deepening of the production process that we have today. Because we have people, competencies," he added.
During the meeting, Alexander Lukashenko stated that the Vitebsk region needs to focus more on supporting the tourism complex. He cited Vitebsk as an example. "It is a beautiful city. Yes, the "Slavianski Bazaar" has always spurred and boosted both Vitebsk and the region, but hands had to be put to all this," the Belarusian leader noted.
"The nature is unique. And this must be used," said Alexander Lukashenko.
The President emphasized that if the tourism industry develops well in Belarus, there will be less need to focus on food exports: "People will come and eat the milk and meat that they have learned to produce in the Vitebsk region."
"I am confident that if we gather our strength and funds and develop our tourism complex, especially here in the north, the region will achieve good results. And jobs. This means people's salaries, the standard of living in the Vitebsk region," the Belarusian leader summarized.
The Head of State noted that all regional centers in the country are connected to Minsk by good modern roads, but it is not possible to stop there; the road network needs further development.
"My big dream is to build this road (towards Polotsk. - Ed.) from Minsk through Begoml. This is a very important direction. And we will certainly do it," Alexander Lukashenko noted.
During the meeting with the asset, the President stated: "Export will be the main direction of our activity. Export is currency. A country cannot exist without currency. And this currency must be earned."
Alexander Lukashenko stressed that work on diversifying the geography of export supplies and developing new markets will continue. "We have done a lot over these years. We traded almost 90% in Russia. Today it is 47%, if we consider total exports. This means we have moved to other markets. This is a tremendous achievement. The market is very tight, and competition is fierce," he noted.
The Head of State confirmed that Belarus will gradually move towards the export formula of "one-third-one-third-one-third," when one-third of supplies will go to Russia, one-third to EAEU markets and the European Union, and one-third to countries of the far arc. "We will definitely achieve this, and we will achieve it within the new five-year plan," the Belarusian leader is confident.
Alexander Lukashenko also recalled the tasks of import substitution.
Speaking about the Vitebsk region, the Head of State noted that since 1995, more than 103,000 families have improved their housing conditions. Of these, almost 8,000 are large families. The poverty rate decreased from almost 50% to 6% in 2019. "This is an indicator. This is not our indicator, this is an international standard. They recognize it. Therefore, it's good progress. Real incomes of the population have increased almost 7 times, and salaries and pensions - 9 times," the President said.
"Of course, this is not yet what it should be. And there will be more. I am sure of it," the Belarusian leader emphasized.
"We must bear in mind that discipline, both executive and technological, and stability in the state are the basis of any development. No Maidan or revolutions will save us," the Belarusian leader stressed.
Alexander Lukashenko noted that the reform in Belarus is the deepening and development of those areas of activity, of what already exists. "Without the strictest technological and executive discipline, all these plans will go to waste," the President added.
"The key task on the scale of the region and the country is the development of regions. This will be the main direction. We need to develop the regions!" the Belarusian leader emphasized.
He noted that the country has programs and plans for large and small cities, rural settlements, and the accelerated development of cities and districts with a population of about 80,000 people. And this work was started precisely with Orsha in the Vitebsk region. "It was decided here to make a model, an example, according to which such regions should develop. We have, I think, 11 such cities as Orsha, and each has its own development program following the example of Orsha," said Alexander Lukashenko.
"But please bear in mind that the demand for the implementation of these programs will be very serious," the Belarusian leader warned.
The President noted that all directions of regional development have been identified, from unpromising villages, farmsteads, agro-towns, to district and regional centers. "We have outlined the direction in which we will develop. And the next five-year period will be dedicated to this small homeland. We need to improve the regions, to ensure that people feel as comfortable in an agro-town as they do in Minsk, and have more desire to live in an agro-town than in Minsk," the Head of State stated.
The President noted that both the country as a whole and the Vitebsk region are showing positive progress in agriculture. "Even from a helicopter, you can see that the entire republic is different this year. But I am pleased with Vitebsk. They have started working well, cultivating sown areas and fields. And the harvest is good," said Alexander Lukashenko. "Whatever it takes, we need to step up our efforts, regardless of any elections, and harvest the grain. The elections will be over, but we will need to eat after August 9th. And we cannot afford to lose this year. For Vitebsk, it is very indicative."
At the same time, the President warned that the harvest, especially in the Vitebsk region, given the agro-climatic features of the region, will not be easy. "According to the governor, there are more than 1 million 300 thousand tons of grain in the fields. And we need to gather this grain and create at least 100 thousand tons of reserves in the Vitebsk region," the Head of State noted.
"We will defend our country by all legal means. We will not give our country to anyone," the President emphasized at a meeting with the region's active members.
Alexander Lukashenko noted that sometimes Western neighbors and partners apply double standards in their assessment of what is happening in Belarus, especially during election periods. "They are already starting to hint to us: watch out that everything is democratic, that there are no clashes on the street..." the President remarked.
In this regard, he mentioned the approaches of law enforcement officers during the "yellow vests" demonstrations in France and the recent popular unrest in the United States. "You see what's happening there. It doesn't go without tear gas. Criticize Trump, the US for lack of democracy. Try to attack Russia. They are afraid. And so, they probably decided to practice on Belarus again. It won't work," said Alexander Lukashenko.
"If you want to observe the elections, please, come tomorrow. We are not against it. We are not hiding. But don't point fingers at us telling us how to live. We know how to live. You should sort yourselves out. That's where the problems are the biggest. But, you know, one wants to hide one's own problems behind the screen of some neighboring problems. You need to point fingers at neighbors and others. That won't work either. These are not the times," the Belarusian leader emphasized.
Nevertheless, Alexander Lukashenko believes that there is something to learn from Western partners, particularly in business development and the use of new technologies. "This experience must be studied and implemented, which we are successfully doing," he said.
"We need to create conditions for people to create their own jobs and do their own thing. And we have a lot to do here," the Head of State noted.
As an example, he cited woodworking: "We live in a forest, but we are engaged in woodworking to perhaps 15-20 percent of what it should be. These areas need to be developed."
According to the President, demographics, especially for the Vitebsk region, but also for the country as a whole, is one of the most important problems. "You give birth to few children. Moreover, people are leaving, the population is decreasing. And all the decisions we have recently made regarding the Vitebsk region are aimed at encouraging people to work in this land. But the problem cannot be ignored. We need to retain labor resources here. There should be good work and a reasonably normal salary," the President emphasized.
The Head of State stated that the results of the region's industrial sector's performance still depend directly on the conditions for obtaining Russian crude oil and selling products from it, as well as on energy policy.
"Today it is obvious: without new growth points, the problems in the region's economy cannot be solved. In this regard, the further development of petrochemicals, light industry, and the production of composite materials seems promising. Machine tool building in the Vitebsk region needs to be developed in close cooperation with large republican enterprises," said Alexander Lukashenko.
The President also noted that the country will not "push" for the expansion of free economic zones, as the country receives less tax revenue from enterprises in FEZs. "The period when we desperately needed to create jobs is over. We need jobs, enterprises that will operate in normal conditions and produce products on equal terms with others, and trade them," said the Head of State.
Official website of the President of the Republic of Belarus.